Lorelei

American  

[lawr-uh-lahy, loh-ruh-lahy] / ˈlɔr əˌlaɪ, ˈloʊ rəˌlaɪ /

noun

1. a quasilegendary nymph of the Rhine who lured sailors to shipwreck on her rock by singing: a creation of Clemens Brentano in a poem of 1800.

2. a female given name.

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Lorelei British  

/ ˈlɒrəˌlaɪ /

noun

1. (in German legend) a siren, said to dwell on a rock at the edge of the Rhine south of Koblenz, who lures boatmen to destruction

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Etymology

Origin of Lorelei

< German, variant of Lurlei, cliff overlooking the Rhine, thought to be the abode of a nymph

Example Sentences

“This is analogous to permitting a shopping center,” said Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County’s director of planning and natural resources.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2024

In addition to reflections about the medium itself, Lorelei contains traces of postmodern novels and the cinema of the French New Wave.

From New York Times • May 15, 2024

Lorelei Mathias said: "It's already like a Herculean task to get your medication."

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2024

“I hope the inquiry has access to evidence it needs which includes evidence from the bereaved,” said Lorelei King, 69, who lost her actor husband Vincent Marzello, 72, in March 2020.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 3, 2023

I invented a secret admirer for Cap named Lorelei Lumley, a seventh grade student-government groupie, who slipped perfumed love notes through the vents of his locker.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman